Eye Opener
by SouthernRocker
Summary: Alec and Max have always closed their eyes to what they feel for each other. What happens when someone shows up and opens Alec’s eyes?
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own Dark Angel

Disclaimer: I don't own Dark Angel.

This is my first Dark Angel fanfiction. So please review and let me know what you think. Sorry for any grammar problems that you might find.

Chapter 1

Alec sat on the counter at Jam Pony watching people come and go. He was waiting for one particular person to come in. For the last couple of days Max had been distant and snapped at him far less than normal. Alec knew something was bothering her, but he didn't know what. He didn't think that it was Logan because Max hadn't been with Logan like that for some time. Alec had been oddly proud of Max for finally jettisoning Logan out of her romantic life.

"Don't you have anything better to do Hot Boy?" OC asked standing next to him.

"Slow day." Alec responded.

"She's not going be back for at least five minutes." OC knew who Alec was looking for.

"What? Who?" Alec said stunned by OC's statement.

"Max, you know the girl you've been waiting for."

Alec didn't say anything. OC was one of the most perceptive ordinaries that he had ever met so lying wouldn't do him any good.

"It would make everybody's life a lot easier if you just told her how you really felt." OC said as if it were a comment about the weather.

"I have no idea what you're talking about." Alec said quickly.

"Come on Hot Boy just admit that you love Max."

"Where did you get that idea?" Alec asked trying to sound causal. At times he had taught about what it would be like if he and Max were more than friends, but he always dismissed the idea, the logical part of his brain telling him that he didn't want to lose his friend or get his ass beat for trying.

"Well let's see you are always worried about her when she goes off on a mission for Logan or when she's quiet, like the past couple of days." OC said.

"Any good friend would do that." Alec countered.

"True but what about when she broke up with Logan you were awfully happy."

"That's because we don't belong in long term relationships with ordinaries. No offense." Alec said.

"None taken, so you mean to tell me that if some transgenic walked in here and swept Max off of her feet you would be happy for them." OC wasn't buying it.

"Not gonna happen." Alec said before he could think

"Why not?" OC asked trying not to laugh.

"It's just unlikely that's all." Alec tried to cover for himself.

"Mmmmhhhmmm." OC gave him one of her knowing looks.

Before Alec could say something back Max came in. As always when she came into a room Alec was struck by just how beautiful she was. His eyes wondered over her quickly checking for any type of wound, he had gotten into the habit of doing that after she was away from him for any period of time. She still had a distant look in her eyes, but she looked less depressed than before.

"Hey Boo good run?" OC asked as Max came over.

"Is there any such thing?" Max asked with a small smile. Alec was relieved to see Max acting somewhat like herself again.

"Once Sketchy gets back you guys want to head over to Crash, Normal said we could take off." Alec said.

"I'm in." OC told him.

"Yeah me to, I'm just gonna run to my locker." Max said moving away from the counter.

Max had just made it to her locker when a tall blonde man came in.


	2. Chapter 2

Thanks for all the reviews

Thanks for all the reviews. I hope that you all like this chapter, please keep the reviews coming. I'm not really sure what's going to happen in the next chapter so if you have suggestions let me know. Sorry for any grammar problems that you might find.

Chapter 2

Max hadn't felt like herself the past couple of days. She wasn't even sure what was causing it, she just felt down. But she had been feeling better today. Max knew that Alec was worried about her for some odd reason. The fact that Alec was concerned about her made Max's feel warm deep down, she would never ever admit that to him or any one else. Hell she had a hard enough time admitting it to herself.

_He's only worried because if I'm not feeling good no one is going to help him get out of all the shit he gets into. _Max thought.

A night at Crash with her friends would be just what the doctor ordered to help with her mood. Max closed her locker and turned around. That's when she saw a blonde man looking around. There was something familiar about him.

Alec watched the blonde look around. Something about the guy put him on edge.

"Who is that?" OC asked looking at the guy.

"No idea."

"Boy is fine." She said when Alec gave her a strange look she added, "Just because I don't swing that way don't mean I can't appreciate."

When Alec looked back to the stranger he saw that his eyes were locked on something. Following the direction of his gaze Alec's eyes landed right on Max, who was walking toward the counter.

Alec had to stop the growl he felt building in his throat. Who was this guy? What gives him the right to waltz in and stare at Max? Alec took a bit of satisfaction in that fact that at any moment Max was going to notice him looking at her and the verbal beat down would begin.

Max was two steps away from the counter when the blonde started over to her. Alec was ready for the tongue lashing, but it didn't come. Instead Max just looked intensely at the stranger, like she was trying to remember something.

"Max?" The guy said.

"Seth?!" Max replied uncertainly. When he nodded Max did something that nearly caused Alec to fall of the counter. She jumped into Seth's arms and wrapped her own arms around his neck.

Alec could have been knocked over with a feather. Then the anger came, the need to rip Max from the guy's arms, the want to hurt Seth in every way that he knew how.

It was OC who spoke first, "Whose your friend Boo?"

Max untangled herself from Seth and lead him over to OC and Alec.

"Guys this is Seth. Seth this is OC and Alec." Max introduced.

"Is he one of your brothers?" OC asked.

Max wasn't sure how to answer. Yes, Seth was had been in here unit at Manticore. But she had never thought of Seth as a brother

"He was part of that thing back in '09." Max said trying to be discrete.

"So he is your brother?" Alec tried not to glare at Seth. He wanted conformation that Seth was just thought of as a brother.

"No, more like one of my best friends, but I'm just as close to him as I am to the others if not closer." Max answered.

"Yeah I refused to be Max's brother because I knew that she was going to grow up and be a hottie." Seth grinned at Max

"What does that have to do with you being her brother?" OC asked.

"Well if she thought of me as her brother it would be harder for me to seduce her." Seth said.

"In your dreams love boy." Max told him.

"Every single night Max." Seth gave her another grin and Alec wanted to kill him. He had found a bit of relief when he thought Seth was Max's brother. But that was quickly taken away.

"Hey guys." Sketchy said as he walked back in from his run.

"Seth Sketch, Sketch Seth." Max introduced the two.

"Nice to meet you man. So are we headed to Crash?"

"Yeah, Max you still coming?" OC asked.

"Do you want to go?" Max asked Seth.

"Sure." He answered. As they were walking out he put his arm around Max. Seth did not miss the glare that came from Alec.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I don't own Dark Angel.

Thank for all the reviews. I hope that everyone likes this chapter. Sorry for any grammar problems that you might find. Please review.

Chapter 3

Max and Seth were on their second pitcher of beer as they sat at a table and talked about their life since the escape. Even with all of the bad things that they had both been through Seth had some really funny stories. Max hadn't laughed so hard in a really long time.

"So this Alec guy is…" Seth started, but was cut off by Max.

"Ben's twin and very annoying." Max really hoped that Seth wouldn't ask about Ben she wasn't sure if she could handle telling him, especially in the middle of Crash.

"You and him ever…you know get it on."

"Are you nuts I can't stand the guy and he thinks I'm the biggest bitch ever genetically engineered." Max quickly said.

"If you say so." Seth clearly didn't believe her, but Max chose to ignore it in hopes that the conversation would turn from her and Alec.

"Well that was a waste of time." OC said as she sat down at the table.

"Strike out?" Max asked

"It was going good till her boyfriend came over." OC said with a touch of bitterness.

"Sorry girl." Max tried to offer some comfort to her friend.

"No big. So what have you two been talking about?" OC asked.

"Just catching up." Seth said.

"OC would you mind if Seth stayed with us?" Max asked.

"Not at all boo."

"Thanks." Seth said.

"Well I'm about ready to head out just let me run to the bathroom real quick." Max said leaving Seth and OC at the table.

"Hey OC can I ask you something?"

"Shoot."

"Why is Alec, who Max clams not to like, keep glaring at me?" Seth asked

"So you did notice Pretty Boy trying to sit you on fire with his eyes." OC glanced over at Alec. He was playing pool with Sketchy, but he was looking over at Seth.

"And why exactly is he doing that?"

"Well you just show up, wrap your arms around Max and have been sitting here talking to her for the past hour and a half. Why do you think?" OC asked.

"Tell me if I'm close. They both like each other, but refuse to admit it to anyone because they are both scared that the other one will just laugh."

"Right on the money." OC took a sip of beer from Max's glass.

Seth was quiet for a minute then he looked up at OC with a smile, "You want to help me with something?"

"What you got in mind?" OC sounded a little cautious.

"If we work together we can give Max and Alec an eye opener about how they really feel." Seth said.

"I'm down with that. You got a plan?" OC smiled at Seth.

"I figure we should start with Alec. We need him to openly admit that he loves Max."

"And how are you going to get Pretty Boy to do that?" OC asked interested in Seth's plan.

"Jealousy can be a very useful thing," Seth smiled, "Once we get Alec then we start on Max."

"Just tell me what you need me to do." OC said quickly since Max was coming back.

"Ready Seth?" Max asked.

"I'll go get our coats." Seth said. Max looked over at the pool table and saw Sketchy motioning for her to come over.

"What's up Sketch?" Max asked

"Do you think I have a chance with that girl over by the bar?"

"I don't know Sketch." Max didn't want to hurt his feelings.

"Well I'm about to find out." He said heading to the bar.

"How much has that girl had to drink?" Max asked Alec.

"Two or three shots." Alec answered lining up another shot.

"He doesn't stand a chance." Max said causing Alec to laugh then he suddenly stopped.

"Here you go Maxie." Seth said handing Max her jacket.

_Did he just call her Maxie, _Alec thought.

"Thanks Seth."

"Max I really hope that your bed isn't to hard." Seth said.

"It doesn't matter since you will be on the couch."

"I see you can't handle being in the same bed as me without jumping me. I understand Max I know that I have that effect on women." Seth said with a gin.

"You know me so well." Max said rolling her eyes. And without another word she headed for the exit.

Alec felt his blood boil. He didn't even know Seth, had hardly spoken two works to the guy, but he really didn't like him. He just wanted to pull Max away from him. Max could be in danger with Seth. She didn't know if he was crazy or if he had people after him. When they had been talking at the table talking and Seth made Max laugh Alec had to fight the urge to hurl a pool cue at Seth. Alec loved it when Max laughed, but not when some other guy was the one making her. Alec decided that it was time to call it a night he had way too much on his mind to hang around Crash.

OC smiled to herself as she watched Alec leave soon after Max. And judging from the look on his face Seth had started his plan and it was working.


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I don't own Dark Angel.

Sorry it has taken me so long to update, but I just wasn't sure what I was going to write. Thanks for all the review about the last chapter. I hope that everybody likes this part to. Please review. Sorry for any grammar problems that you might find.

Chapter 4

Alec wanted to ram his head into a locker; at least then the pain would distract him from the emotional war raging within himself. It had started ten minutes ago when Max came into work talking to OC. But that's not what caused the problem. It was how Max was acting that made him want to pull out his own hair.

Max was smiling and laughing. At first Alec smiled to and he wanted to laugh as well, even though he didn't know the joke. That was just the effect happy Max had on him. Then Alec started thinking of all the reasons that Max was in such a good mood. And way too many of them involved Seth.

Every time Alec looked at Max or heard her laugh he felt a surge of happiness that overwhelmed all his other emotions. Then he would think of another thing that she and Seth might have done the night before and anger and something else would flash up. He wanted Max to be happy, but knowing that it was another man that was making her happy just didn't sit right with him.

_Why do I even care? I mean Max isn't hitting me or yelling at me. Instead of freaking out about who is making her happy I should just be thankful._ Alec said to himself.

Max had been glancing at Alec for the last couple of minutes. If she hadn't been in Manticore she probably just went on like everything was normal, never noticing that anything was wrong. But Max did see the confusion and confecting emotions flash across his face. And she was kind of worried. Alec was always messing around and joking. He was hardly ever serious.

"Alec is something wrong?" Max asked as she came over to him.

"Nothing at all Maxie." Alec tried to smile, but it came out weak. Then he looked at her and saw the happiness in Max's eyes and the concern she felt for him. That's when he gave her a real smile.

"Ok." She said, but she clearly wasn't completely convinced.

"Hot run people. Here Missy Miss Sector 4. Bip Bip." Normal said coming over and tossing a package at Max.

"Hey Boos why don't we all meet up and get lunch?" OC asked.

"I'm in." Sketchy said walking over and then leaving when he saw Normal looking at him.

"Me to." Alec said. The past two times they had all met for lunch Sketchy had to hide from people he owed money to and OC had went to flirt with the waitress, leaving him alone with Max; they had actually talked without fighting.

"I can't I promised Seth I'd have lunch with him. He was some job that he wants to tell me about." Max explained.

Alec didn't say a word. He really didn't know what would have came out if he opened his mouth.

_Why is it pissing me off that Max is having lunch with Seth instead of me? Did I just think me I meant us. _Alec thought.

"What kind of a job?" OC asked.

"One that requires my special talents." Max answered.

"Let's move people!!" Normal yelled.

"See you guys." Max said heading out.

Alec stood for a moment. So Seth was going to get Max to go on a heist with him. Alec had known from the moment that Seth came in that he wanted something. He wanted to use Max to help him rob somebody. Alec was always complaining when he had to go on a heist with Max. But he wouldn't have had her go with anyone else or by herself. When he was there he knew that she was alright. He could watch her back.

"Hey Pretty Boy you plan on moving today or are you just going to stand there and stare into space?" OC brought Alec out of his thoughts.

"Yeah," Alec said then he remembered that Cindy lived with Max, "So OC what did you guys do last night after Crash?"

"You mean what did Seth and Max do?" OC asked.

Not waiting for Alec to reply she said, "When I got back to the apartment they were in Max's room talking and I didn't see either one of them till this morning."

"Alright then." Alec said trying to sound like he didn't care. Then grabbing a random package he left.

If Alec had looked back he would have seen OC laughing to herself. When she had gotten home last night Seth and Max had really been sitting on the couch, which Seth had slept on, watching some movie. When Max had gone to the bathroom Seth had asked her to lie if Alec asked anything about what happened after everyone had left Crash. Honestly OC thought that Seth's plan was going to take longer to work, but now she wasn't so sure.

EOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEO

Max sat on top of the Space Needle, she knew that all her friends were at Crash having fun. But she just needed some alone time to think. The past two days had been a blur. She was so excited that Seth was visiting, she had hardly thought about anything else.

Then she had seen Alec this morning. He looked so conflicted. So the whole day, till lunch at least, instead of thinking about how great it was to have Seth around she had been trying to figure out what was bothering Alec.

Then after lunch when Seth had told Max his plan she just couldn't shake the feeling of how weird it would be to go on a heist without Alec. She couldn't remember the last time that she had done something like that with anyone other than Alec. But Seth had asked for her help so she was just going to have to get over not having Alec there.

EOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEO

"Sorry Sketchy." Alec said making his last shot to win the game. It was the forth game of pool Sketchy had lost to Alec.

"I'm going to get a drink." He said moving away from the pool table to the bar. Alec smirked at his friend, but when he looked toward the door his smirk fell.

"Hey man." Seth said standing next to Alec.

"Hey." Alec said dryly as he got the table ready for another game.

"So have you seen Max?"

"Not since she left Jam Pony this morning." Alec didn't look at him. He knew where Max was, she was on the Space Needle, but he'd be damned before he'd tell Seth that.

"I need to see if she's going to help me with my heist or not." Seth said.

"I'm sure she will." Alec tried to keep his voice in a normal tone.

Seth had been testing Alec's mood the whole time that he had been talking to him. Seeing if the other transgenic was in anyway jealous of him and in Seth's option he was.

"Yeah I could handle it myself. But then I wouldn't get to see Max in one of those hot outfits that she probably wears." Seth said with as much sleaze he could put in his voice.

Alec completely missed his shot. All of a sudden the entire room was covered in a red haze as he turn to look at Seth.

_Hold it together Alec._ He said to himself. The last part of Alec's brain that wasn't completely controlled by burning rage told him that Max would be pissed if she came in and saw him driving Seth's head into a wall.

"I can just see it now, Max crawling through a vent in front of me, her cute little ass up in the air." Seth grinned and got his best far away look in his eyes.

That was the last straw for Alec. All of his remaining brain functions shut off except for anger. Then he was taking a step toward Seth.


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I don't own Dark Angel.

Thanks for all the reviews for the last chapter. Sorry for any grammar problems that you might find. Please let me know what you think.

Chapter 5

_Well he looks angry. _Seth thought as Alec took a step toward him.

"Why don't we go outside before our conversation makes a mess?" Seth said. Alec didn't answer he just turned and headed for the door.

"Seth you sure you know what you are doing?" OC asked Seth as he was going to the door.

"Of course all part of the plan. Just give me five minutes and then come out." Seth told her with a grin.

He found Alec in the alley next to Crash. It was hidden from view so they could fight and not have to worry about someone coming out and seeing them. Seth had just walked pass a large pile of trash when a fist crashed in to his jaw.

Seth caught himself and got into a fighting position. Alec stood a few feet in front of him is his own stance. Then he blurred coming at Seth with a series of punches and kicks. Alec was too blinded by the rage cursing through his veins to notice that Seth wasn't fighting back.

_Alright so boy got moves._ Seth thought as he blocked Alec's punches and kicks. He was silently keeping track of how long they had been fighting. Any minute he expected OC to come out.

"Alec!! Seth!!" OC shouted from the end of the alley. Alec hadn't been expecting anyone to come out so he turned to look. Then he was knocked down.

"Alec, Seth doesn't want to fight you." OC said coming over to stand with them.

"Then why the hell did he just punch me in the face and why has he been out here fighting with me this whole time." Alec asked standing up.

"I hit you because… well honestly I just couldn't resist. As for the fighting you thing I had to. To get you to the mental state that you needed to be in to have the realization that I've been trying to get you to have for the last couple of days, you had to be pissed. But then to be able to talk to you about it you needed to be calmer and the only way to calm you down was to fight with you." Seth rambled out.

"Oookkk," Alec said clearly confused, "And what realization did you want me to come to?"

"You are gonna have to take this slow suga." OC whispered to Seth.

"I think you are right." Seth said.

"What the hell are you two talking about?" Alec was clearly frustrated.

"The first day that I came into Jam Pony and hugged Max and then later when we were talking at Crash, I could practically feel your eyes boring into me. Now why were you glaring at me?" Seth asked.

"I didn't know you and I was just watching you to see if you were going to do anything crazy." Alec reasoned.

"Ok then Captain Denial. What about when I took Max out to lunch? How did you feel about that?"

"Didn't really care." Alec said trying to sound confident.

"OC, how was Alec acting at lunch?" Seth asked.

"Pretty Boy was real quiet and looked like he was brooding. Plus when we got done eating he asked me if I thought you were safe for Max to be around." OC said.

"Now why would you care if Max being around me was dangerous?" Seth turned his attention back to Alec.

"Because Max is my friend." Alec said honestly.

"And why did you get so tweaked when I was talking about Max tonight?"

"Like I said she's my friend." Alec said with a bit more annoyance in his voice as he remembered what Seth had said about Max.

"Alec you hear guys saying stuff about girls all the time and sometimes those girls are your friends, but you never go crazy and fight them." OC said.

"Well Max is different." Alec insisted.

"Why is she different?" Seth asked seeing that Alec was close he just needed to be lead a little more.

"She's smart, dedicated, caring, strong, brave and…" Alec listed and then suddenly, as if he lost his voice, stopped mid sentence.

"And…" Seth and OC said together prompting Alec.

"I like Max," Alec said softly, "Hell I think I might even love her." He knew that he couldn't hide what he felt anymore. His feelings were to strong.

"Finally, now was that so hard." Seth said with a grin.

"It's not like it matters Max doesn't feel the same way." Alec couldn't hide the sadness in his voice.

"Yes she does. She just hasn't admitted it yet." Seth assured the other transgenic.

"How do you know?" Alec said unconvinced.

"Just trust us." OC said.

"Alright then I guess I need to go talk to her." Alec said heading out of the alley. The knowledge that he might stand a chance with Max excited him like nothing else he had ever experienced.

"No you don't," Seth said blurring in front of him, "You can't just go running at Max like a fat kid runs at a cupcake this kind of thing takes finesse and planning. With my help and the help of OC you might stand a chance."

"Dude why do you want to help me?" Alec asked suddenly suspicious of Seth's motives.

"Because I think that you can make Max happy." Seth answered.

"What's your plan?" Alec asked with a grin.


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I don't own Dark Angel.

Sorry its taken me so long to get a new chapter up. And I know that this one is kind of short, but I'm going to try really hard and have the next chapter up some time really soon. Please let me know what you think and sorry for any grammar problems that you might find.

Chapter 6

_Just be nice_. Seth's words ran over and over in Alec's head. For all of his talk of having a great plan that had been the only advice or instruction that the transgenic had offered. Well maybe not all of the advice.

Alec glanced around, making sure that Normal wasn't near, and then slipped behind the counter. He carefully selected packages that were in the same area.

"Hey Max." Alec said carrying the packages evenly divided.

"Hey." Max said not looking up from her locker.

"I heard that Normal is in one hell of a mood today. I figured its best to avoid him, even more that we normally do, so I grabbed you some packages." He said holding out the packages to Max.

"Thanks." Max replied taking them with a bit of apprehension.

"I think most of my delivers are in the same neighborhoods as yours. So you want to go together?" Alec asked, this had been OC contribution to Seth's plan.

"Alec are you alright? You seem nervous." Alec was never nervous and it was making Max worried that something might be wrong.

"I'm fine Maxie." Alec said hopping that by calling her Maxie it would seem like his stomach wasn't doing back flips.

"Alright, then lets get going before Normal comes over." Max said heading for the door. She was more than a little confused. Alec had volunteered to spend what would probable be the whole day with her most of the time they couldn't be in the same room without arguing. But Max couldn't help but want to smile. For some reason unknown to her the thought of being with Alec all day made her happy.

EOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEO

Alec and Max walked in side by side laughing. Alec had just told Max a story about how he and another X5 had gotten lost on a mission. That's how the whole day had gone. They took turns telling stories about their experiences in and out of Manticore. They had laughed a lot, but also they shared stories that weren't so amusing.

"Well you two look like you've had a good day." OC said as Max and Alec came over to the lockers.

"Yeah it was alright." Max said nonchalantly even thought she had enjoyed spending the day with Alec she wasn't about to admit that to him. His ego was big enough as it was.

"Oh come on Max you know that you loved having me around." Alec smirked at her.

_But not nearly as much as I loved being around you._ Alec added silently.

"If you need to tell yourself that you go right ahead and do it." Max smiled at Alec.

"I don't mean to break up the love fest you two have going, but I'm splitting out of here. Anybody coming with me over to Crash?" OC asked.

"I'm in. Just let me call Seth and ask him if he wants to go." Max said.

"I'll see you guys tomorrow." Alec said heading toward the door.

"What you're not coming with us?" OC asked the question that jumped into Max's head.

"Not tonight. I'm just going to go home and relax for a little while." Alec said.

_And wait for the next step in Seth's plan._ Alec thought as he headed home.


End file.
